Sprout Ideas

What Sprout Ideas does

Sprout Ideas is a community-based social innovation training organization that operates the Sprout Ideas Fellowship, a 10-month guided skill-building program for Canadian youth aged 15-30. The program delivers training modules, mentorship, monthly peer learning circles (60-minute facilitated sessions in cohorts of 10), and seed grants of up to $5,000 to support volunteer-led community impact projects across Canada. Eligibility is restricted to Canada Service Corps microgrant recipients (2018-2022) and #RisingYouth project participants, with each cohort accommodating up to 250 youth. Since launching in 2023, the fellowship has supported over 120 youth in implementing community projects spanning arts, education, environment, health, social justice, and recreation.

The organization is a program of TakingITGlobal, a Canadian nonprofit headquartered in Toronto. Underlying technology consists of an online learning management system for training modules, a virtual collaboration platform for peer learning circles, and a designated peer-to-peer fundraising platform on which TakingITGlobal provides matching donations up to the first $1,000 independently fundraised per fellow. Program delivery is fully virtual, with live orientation, bilingual (English/French) tutorials, and ongoing coaching.

Sprout Ideas does not operate a commercial revenue model. Funding sources comprise Canada Service Corps government grants (core program support including seed grants), individual and organizational donations, and peer-to-peer fundraising. The Sprout series has been operating since 2005 under TakingITGlobal to grow a culture of social innovation through courses, camps, events, and educator training. Marketing and distribution rely on the organization website, social media channels, email newsletters, and partner referrals from Canada Service Corps and #RisingYouth.

Name

Sprout Ideas

Legal name

Sprout Ideas

Website

https://sproutideas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sprout Ideas operates a 10-month youth fellowship in Canada, providing training, mentorship, peer learning circles, and seed grants up to $5,000 to help youth aged 15-30 implement volunteer-led community impact projects, funded primarily by Canada Service Corps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Fellowship

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Structured Gap Year Programs (Multi-Sector & Rotational) (EDAIAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

Keywords

• Youth fellowship program
• Social innovation training
• Community impact grants
• Youth mentorship programs
• Seed grant funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Funding from Canada Service Corps provides core program support including seed grants for fellows
2. Donations: Individual and organizational donations support fellowship operations and additional fundraising opportunities for fellows
3. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Fellows independently fundraise up to $4,500 for their projects through designated platform, with TakingITGlobal providing matching donations up to first $1,000

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sprout Ideas operates the Sprout Ideas Fellowship, a 10-month guided skill-building program for youth aged 15-30 in Canada who have received Canada Service Corps microgrants. Fellows receive curated training modules, monthly peer learning circles, mentorship and coaching, a seed grant of up to $5,000 upon completing learning modules, and access to additional peer-to-peer fundraising with matching donations from TakingITGlobal of up to $1,000. Fellows implement volunteer-led community impact projects addressing issues such as arts, education, environment, health, social justice, and recreation across Canada.

Product overview

Sprout Ideas is a youth fellowship program operated by TakingITGlobal since 2005. The core offering is the Sprout Ideas Fellowship—a 10-month guided skill-building experience that supports youth across Canada in implementing community impact projects. The fellowship provides seed grants of up to $5,000 (funded by Canada Service Corps), access to additional funds from partners and donors, training and peer learning circles, and mentorship. The program is designed for Canada Service Corps microgrant recipients aged 15-30 and has supported over 120 youth since 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sprout Ideas Fellowship A 10-month guided skill-building fellowship for Canadian youth aged 15-30 who have received Canada Service Corps microgrants (2018-2022) or #RisingYouth project lead applicants and team members. The fellowship provides curated training modules, monthly 60-minute peer learning circles with cohorts of 10 Fellows, mentorship from a Fellowship Support Coordinator, a seed grant of up to $5,000 upon completing learning modules, and access to additional peer-to-peer fundraising with matching donations from TakingITGlobal of up to $1,000. Fellows design and implement volunteer-led community impact projects addressing arts, education, environment, health, social justice, and recreation. Each cohort welcomes up to 250 youth, delivered virtually in English and French across Canada.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 120 youth supported since 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TakingITGlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization producing Sprout Ideas. Provides matching donations for peer-to-peer fundraising (up to $1,000), administrative infrastructure, and connections to global youth network.
• #RisingYouth Community Grants ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPredecessor program providing microgrants to youth. Fellowship is open to #RisingYouth project participants who meet eligibility requirements.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• TakingITGlobal: The parent organization of Sprout Ideas, a Canadian nonprofit with a global youth network delivering educational programs, peer learning, and funding opportunities; included as the institutional context rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Katimavik: A federally funded Canadian structured youth volunteer and gap-year program for ages 17-25 that runs multi-month placements across Canada, directly comparable to Sprout Ideas' 10-month structured fellowship model for Canadian youth.
• Enactus Canada: A Canadian student-led social innovation and entrepreneurship network running structured programs and competitions for youth to design community impact projects, comparable in its fellowship-style skill-building and project-based model.
• Youth Challenge International: A Canadian nonprofit delivering youth-led volunteer and social innovation programs, including fellowships and community projects, with a similar cohort-based fellowship structure and youth-driven community impact focus.
• The Students Commission of Canada: A Canadian nonprofit that runs youth-led community programs, mentorship, and capacity-building initiatives, with substantial overlap in target audience and youth-development mission.

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka Canada: The Canadian arm of a global social entrepreneurship network supporting young changemakers through fellowships and mentorship, operating at a broader scale with overlapping focus on youth social innovation.
• YMCA Canada: A national federation of YMCAs delivering youth programs, leadership training, and community-focused initiatives across Canada, comparable in mission-driven youth development at larger scale.
• 4-H Canada: A long-standing Canadian youth development organization running structured skill-building programs, leadership training, and community projects for young people aged 6-25 across Canada.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada: A national youth mentoring nonprofit in Canada with a much broader mandate and longer history, comparable in its mission-driven focus on youth outcomes and partnership-based funding model.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada: A national network of community-based youth service clubs offering structured programs, mentorship, and skill-building for young people across Canada, overlapping in target demographic and educational mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SproutYourIdeas
• Facebookfacebook.com/takingitglobal
• Instagraminstagram.com/takingitglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sprout Ideas